HOOP DOOP MEETS ARDJOEN MAHANGOE

ARJUN’S GOODS is the platform representing all Ardjoen Mahangoe‘s creative work. From photography to illustrations: art supporting the fashion brand. This time with the ready-to-wear unisex clothing collection. This collection is born out of translating illustrations to create wearable stories.

Last Friday we met Ardjoen at HÄCKA in Amsterdam for the launch of his first collection ‘Make Me Feel Alive’
Here what he told us.

What got you into fashion?
The reason I do fashion is because of the hidden messages in it. When we see someone, we look with our eyes and interpret with our brain. Whatever you are wearing communicates a different message. If you go all red or all white or all black you have a different vibe, a different energy, and it is really interesting to manipulate that. You can decide what to communicate without talking.

Were you supported by friends, family or fellow artists throughout your fashion career?
I come from a supportive background. Everyone is there for me and wants to see me succeed. I think it’s really about having genuine people around you and being genuine yourself.

How would you describe your brand in three adjectives?
Nightlife, emotion and power.

Your brand offers ‘personal adventures’ and ‘wearable stories’. How do you think you achieve this through your clothes?
It’s the combination of the illustrations that I make and making them wearable. That was basically the essence of it. I have all these stories that I want to tell… and this was the ideal combination. Like, let’s put wearable together with illustrations. Let’s create the first mini collection to express what you have inside.

What do you hope people will take away from your collection?
The thing that I want to achieve with everything that I make, whether it’s with an illustration or a photo, is to trigger something in you that makes you want to stand still for at least five seconds and be like, hey, what am I seeing? What can be the story behind it?

What is your source of inspiration? Is it a place, mood or a role model?
The place for me was when I started working at this nightclub [De School]. This was the first time that I saw people try to lose themselves and really try to be who they are instead of following whatever rule or behavior that was acceptable. People would come in wearing leather or rubber, or in some cases be topless or nude… there are different rules at night. It’s like this playground that starts at twelve.

What are your next steps and aspirations in the fashion realm?
Right now, I am manufacturing outside of Europe. My goal is to make a collection that is designed and made in the Netherlands. I want to follow up on sustainability.